NCJ Number
220734
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2007 Pages: 703-722
Date Published
December 2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Female drug-court participants examined current and past experiences to assess their program and envision future program innovations.
Abstract
From these 11 women’s perspectives, the strongest component of the drug court they were enrolled in was being surrounded by many caring people who listened to them and who were genuinely concerned about their progress. These women did not mind the intensive supervision and graduated and immediate sanctions as long as they were imposed fairly by people who sought to educate rather than punish or humiliate them. Essential components of a successful program were seen as wraparound services, resources, and referrals, treatment facilities that accepted children, and individualized treatment plans. Despite the small and selected sample of women who engaged in this appreciative inquiry in one drug court in Northern California, this research expands one’s knowledge in the field by showing the benefits of a drug-court program from female participants’ perspective. The study shows the invaluable data obtained by conducting qualitative evaluations of drug-court programs. References